Israel has quickly built up an international reputation for academic excellence at a number of its universities. From the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, there are a number of world-class academics across the county who are leaders in their respective fields.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem was founded in 1918 on Mount Scopus. Since then it has flourished and there are a further three campuses, two more in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. By 1947 the Hebrew U had expanded into a large teaching and research institution and in 1949 plans for a medical school were approved. It continued to expand over the years adding a law faculty, an agricultural section, and much more. The university has produced a number of notable alumni including four presidents of Israel, three prime ministers, a number of Supreme Court judges, members of the Knesset and even some celebrities such as Natalie Portman.
Those interested in science and technology will usually apply to study at the Technion in Haifa. It is Israel’s oldest university, having been founded in 1912. It offers degrees in science and engineering as well as numerous related fields. Many credit the Technion as being one of the reasons Israel has so many successful start-up companies. It is certainly a place that attracts top academics and at present there are three Nobel Laureates in chemistry on staff. Over the years it has produced a huge number of successful alumni who have gone on to develop ground breaking technologies and scientific methods.
There are also a number of excellent places to study the arts in Israel, even if they aren’t independent universities dedicated to those arts. Both the Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University have excellent music academies, while the Hebrew University is also home the famous Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Bezalel is actually Israel’s oldest higher education institution; the painter and sculptor Boris Schatz founded it in 1906. Since then a number of famous painters and sculptures have graduated from Bezalel. Similarly, a number of leading musicians have graduated from Israel’s music academies (Ilan Volkov, Naomi Shemer, and more).
There are a number of other universities in Israel including the Weizmann Institute of Science, Bar-Ilan University, the University of Haifa, the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Open University of Israel and Ariel University. There are also a number of foreign universities with campuses in Israel including NYU, the Yeshiva University and the University of Indianapolis.
In addition to the universities there are also a huge number of colleges with all kinds of specialities, from bible study to film and television to teacher training.
In short, while Israel may be a small country, there are a huge number of higher educational institutes that produce leading figures in a number of different fields. If you have ever thought about studying abroad than Israel has a huge amount to offer, regardless of what you want to study.
